What diet worked best for you?

[ronnieromance]

This might be why no one mentioned exercise.

OIC. IMO, this thread is pointless then. LOL, I mean... Ya... Some physical activity is necessary. I may be wrong because I've never just dieted and expected to lose weight, but what's the point

 

 

 

 

-R-

[catgirl1927]

OIC. IMO, this thread is pointless then. LOL, I mean... Ya... Some physical activity is necessary. I may be wrong because I've never just dieted and expected to lose weight, but what's the point

 

I kinda feel that way too. I was able to lose weight on weight watchers, so I was thin and flabby. I like thin and toned better. But, that's my body type, some people are super thin and really don't need to work out to look toned. And 20 year olds can ALWAYS do that. Bitches.

[kitten chick]

aim for a 12% body fat percentage.

Not for a female. A female under the age of 40 shouldn't dip below 20% body fat and even that's low. Around 30% is normal for a female that age. Men should have much lower body fat contents than women.

[catgirl1927]

I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure you stop ovulating if you get to 12% body fat.

[PuppyDogEyes]

no sugar

 

No need to have sugar when they make Splenda. Tastes exactly like sugar and it's not nearly as "harmful". Easy to say "no sugar", but not as easy to enforce that, especially with food labels being so misleading.

 

eat 5 apples a day

 

Apples - indeed, all fruits - are naturally sweetened. Which means carbohydrates. Even apples have saturated and unsaturated fat, if you can believe that (admittedly, not much). Google "Nutritional ingredients found in apples" - it's interesting stuff. Most people say that you can go crazy on vegetables, but you have to kind of watch the fruit a little because of the sugars contained in fruit - yes, even apples.

 

run 12 miles a week if you can

 

OP just stated a few posts ago that they're burned out for an extended period of time after a 30-minute run, so I don't think that this'll help much.

 

NO coffee! (thats a hard one for me)

 

I would tend to agree with this statement, simply because of the caffeine issues. OP states that they work an "oddball" schedule, and caffeine will not help to make that better - on non-traditional work schedules, you need as much "routine" as you can get in order to feel "normal". (i.e., Get enough sleep! Caffeine interferes with sleep most of the time.)

 

work out with weights, and as you work out you will eventually burn more calories overall.

 

Again, I agree: weight training is definitely the best way to build up muscle, which will in turn burn fat.

 

OP, have you considered maybe purchasing some hand weights? I know that York makes a great set (my gym has tons of them!). They're in garish, bright pink and green colors - should be easy to find on the 'net.

 

aim for a 12% body fat percentage.

 

No, no, no. Twelve percent is absolutely essential for a female to even survive. The American Council on Exercise recommends a body fat percentage of 14 to 20% for "athletes" and 21 to 24% for "fitness". Anything above 32% body fat is considered "obese".

 

- pde.

[Spank'n'Rationality]

OIC. IMO, this thread is pointless then. LOL, I mean... Ya... Some physical activity is necessary. I may be wrong because I've never just dieted and expected to lose weight, but what's the point

 

 

 

 

-R-

 

Wow, it's a little rude to call my thread pointless; did you even read my original post? It's a little pointless to reply to something that you find to be "pointless," is it not? I said I do walk, I do occasionally do pilates/yoga, and I don't mind hearing different suggestions concerning exorcise, but my main concern is eating better. I just wanted some suggestions on "dieting;" i.e. food and/or suppliments that could help me lose weight, but mainly suggestions concerning eating better.

[Spank'n'Rationality]

Dang PuppyDogEyes, you certainly know your stuff ! I wouldn't mind weight trianing; I just don't want bulging muscles, but being toned would be nice. When is the best time to work out? Night or morning? I hear that night is good, because it will help you sleep better, but then someone will tell me morning is best because it get's your blood going, waking you up.

[Dawn82]

Spank'n'Rationality, unless you are

some kind of genetic freak. (or taking steroids) you are not going to get "bulging" muscles without years of serious work. You just do not have the

testosteren for that.

 

Shahar.

[PuppyDogEyes]

Dang PuppyDogEyes' date=' you certainly know your stuff ! I wouldn't mind weight trianing; I just don't want bulging muscles, but being toned would be nice. When is the best time to work out? Night or morning? I hear that night is good, because it will help you sleep better, but then someone will tell me morning is best because it get's your blood going, waking you up.[/quote']

 

Teehee, I don't know a thing. I just started my program myself, really. I posted a little while ago about "how to get started" because I've spent 20 years abusing my body and letting the weight pile on. Now I'm doing something about it, and I'm finding that exercise and getting healthy (in body and mind) is something that's high up on the priority list.

 

Weight training will not bulk you up - that's a myth. You have to train for years and years to look like Arnold Schwarzenegger. (Well, how he used to look, anyway!) What it will do for you is strengthen your ability to burn fat, speed your metabolism, etc. (Personal training is a lovely thing!)

 

I don't really base the time I go in to exercise at the gym by what'll make me feel better, but by when most people are going. I go in the early mornings, because most of the machines are free and no one will see the "fat kid" running herself ragged on the elliptical. Really, it's all in how you live your lifestyle as far as what time would be best for you. Because you work odd hours, it's going to be difficult to say what you should do, but you should definitely make time for it.

 

Are you sure that you wouldn't want to try out a gym? I was really against the idea, myself, but ever since I joined up, I've never regretted it, ever!

 

- pde.